bkchick88

VSGAnn 2014 writes: "I'm sorry, but this is 2014. Corset-training? No freakin' way."

VSGAnn2014, Hilarious!! I agree, waist "training" sounds like torture. I think I'll pass.

We're in season 5 of The Good Wife. We never watched it when it was on TV and just discovered it. We started with the first season a few months ago and are just about caught up. We also like to watch Downton Abbey and Sherlock Holmes.

I received my lapband in December and have had a fill every two weeks since then. I am now up to 7.2 cc and just barely starting to feel like I'm in the green zone. It's been extremely frustrating, but I'm not giving up. I can finally go about four to five hours in between meals and not feel hungry. Just like you, even when I'm not hungry, I get brain hungry and still want to eat. I'm still working on that. I felt exactly how you did with the liquid diet. It was hell and I was so tired of sweet food, such as Jello. I've only lost 9 pounds since December, so you can imagine how frustrated and discouraged I've been. The bright side of this is that I've kept that 9 pounds off and haven't gained anything since Christmas, which is a flippin' miracle in itself. Today was a really good day as far as keeping my calories down, so I'm feeling happy right now. I think this latest fill might actually have me at a good spot.
Best wishes to you in your lapband journey.

Hang in there....It DOES WORK and from what I have just read so far, everyone's thinking is spot on....
LAST CHANCE???? My Health was deteriorating fast! My family history was grim, having lost both my brother and sister from obese related illnesses...sister was the worse going through amputations, cardiac and other circulatory surgeries, finally renal failure....they flat out said she had too much going on to qualify for kidney transplant.
I started down the same road, diabetes out of control, my blood work was all over the place, nothing was normal. Had clogged arteries resulting in one hart attack, had to undergo cardiac surgery...
My PCP was very blunt and honest, told me I was a walking time bomb and did not have long to live. Stated if I could but loose 50-60 lbs, this would all start to reverse itself.
Knowing that I have tried every diet under the sun, and failing miserably at every one of them,
He recommended weight loss surgery and referred me. WLS was my LAST CHANCE!
That is why I have never taken this lightly...full steam ahead...I want this band to do the maximum performance, everything I anticipated.
And it did!!! Lost over 100 lbs in a year......all my illnesses have been reversed...no more medications or insulin injections.
I go to the gym every chance I get.
My hunger/cravings are in check, have no interest in food or eating most of the time. And when I do eat, the band limits my portions, making it impossible to overeat or binge. And when I do eat, all I do is eat wisely, making healthy choices.
No more diets, no more calorie counting.....
Does not mean I don't enjoy the treats in life...I do! It's just that I don't make a pig of myself...all things in moderation thanks to the band...
Head Hunger....perfectly normal, but it goes away eventually....I have gone out of my way to purchase something I was craving, only to throw it away after one or two bites.....
The band turned my life around...all my Dr.'s are astounded...(and I have/had a lot of them)
I do not, have not, any weight loss goals...how can I ??? I was OBESE because of a lifestyle of bad eating and being a coach potato....NOW my lifestyle has changed, and the reverse happened, I went on the opposite direction and lost weight until I was back to what my body determined was normal...where it should be for someone who eats right and gets plenty of exercise.
Maintenance?? I don't get it...I have been on many, many diets so I understand what maintenance is in terms of dieting programs.
But I am not on any diet program....simply put, because of WLS, my eating, what and how I eat, has been changed...and it will stay that way for the rest of my life....it is the New Normal for me. So there is nothing I can do differently.
I should say, concerning my health improving and illnesses reversed, a Heart Attack, (MI) the damage is down to the cardiac wall - muscle and cannot be fixed, and with this, there are 2 medications I will take for the rest of my life....
BUT that does not stop me from running 3-5 miles 5 days a week, and strengthening what I do have.

I received my lapband in December and have had a fill every two weeks since then. I am now up to 7.2 cc and just barely starting to feel like I'm in the green zone. It's been extremely frustrating, but I'm not giving up. I can finally go about four to five hours in between meals and not feel hungry. Just like you, even when I'm not hungry, I get brain hungry and still want to eat. I'm still working on that. I felt exactly how you did with the liquid diet. It was hell and I was so tired of sweet food, such as Jello. I've only lost 9 pounds since December, so you can imagine how frustrated and discouraged I've been. The bright side of this is that I've kept that 9 pounds off and haven't gained anything since Christmas, which is a flippin' miracle in itself. Today was a really good day as far as keeping my calories down, so I'm feeling happy right now. I think this latest fill might actually have me at a good spot.
Best wishes to you in your lapband journey.

The reason I called this last chance is that I will never have the full bypass surgery and if I can't lose the weight this way, I will just have to learn to live with it. I have tried every diet in the book and know what I am supposed to do but cannot stick with it long enough to lose enough weight. I have about 125 lbs to lose. I am almost 60 years old and have knee problems ( one has been replaced) and low back arthritis and stenosis. I was worried I was going to become disabled several times in the past year. I have grandchildren and want to be active as I get older. I want to enjoy my retirement. I have been overweight all my adult life and this is my last chance to get healthy and active before its too late. I am very motivated to make this work but the food still looks good. Even though I'm not hungry, sometimes I still want to eat. I also hate to exercise and have not found anything I like to do. So those are the challenges.

How to Poop at Work: https://youtu.be/4Uvl9Mstj4A
This video also covers how to fart at work! I've had terrible gas since my surgery. I've been told it's just an unfortunate side effect. So thought a little humor on the subject might be nice :-)

Oh, yes..... I skip'em all together.

@@LipstickLady and @@CowgirlJane
I gotta say thanks to both of you not just for your replies in this thread but others I've seen around. Your responses always make sense and add a level of sensibility to the conversation (or comic relief when needed).
While I agree the thread does become available for anyone to twist it to their desires, I do wish people would pay attention before posting. Personal pet peeve I'll just have to live with I guess.
Ok, who's next for the punching bag?

@@LipstickLady
Oh my, you addressed some of my personal pet peeves. One I see almost every day on here is the misuse of lose/loose, however, I try as you do to look past these mistakes and remind myself that it's the content that counts.

No, I have not read through the entire post but I feel your pain...
You're and Your
Their, there, and they're
I cry at the misuse of these innocent words....

It is a bit different as I have a small band. But believe me 0.1cc, which is almost too small to see when the doc showed me the syringe, for me can make the difference between just right and too tight.

2cc can make all the difference. I have had fills of 0.1 cc

I burp a little during the barium swallow while getting my fills. But I don't seem to burp or hiccup afterward. However, both a burp and a hiccup can be soft stop signals for me while eating.

It is a very slow process. My Wife is also banded and she lost just under 30lbs in the first year. They are bringing her along much slower then I Keep in mind I was pushing 450lbs and generally the more you weigh the faster it goes especially in the beginning. Key is to stick with it and push through those frustrating times.
@CTJohn I have a lot of loose skin and as a matter of fact I just went to information seminar this past Tuesday. I have serious wrinkles every where and it is not pretty. I did what I could at the gym but given my age and amount of stretched skin all the workouts in the world couldn't help.
I am going to be making a consult with plastic surgeon but a lot is going to depend on whether or not insurance will cover anything. Right now none of it is bothering me health-wise. No rashes or irritations of such.
April 16 will be my 3rd year anniversary.

@@bkchick88 I am also some one who needed several fills to get to the green zone. My surgeon took it slow and ultimately I was glad for that as I needed the time in-between to modify behaviors -- eating too fast, etc. Learning to notice everything is where it's at -- tuning in. That's what you're doing now and that's great. Congratulations on all you are doing to take care of yourself. Big year of changes!

I'll talk to my knee surgeon and tell him I'm banded and see what he thinks. If he thinks I'll be okay, I don't want to mess with my Fluid level. I'm at 6.65 cc as of today. The knee surgery scares the crap out of me, but it's got to be done. I'm not sure I would be brave enough to have the other knee done two months later like you did. Yikes!

I was banded this past December and have gone in for fills every two weeks since then and still haven't seen much weight loss. I'm feeling discouraged because I'm at 6.25 cc of Fluid in my band, and I'm still not feeling enough of a restriction. I know I'm close, but I can't imagine even losing 20 pounds, let alone 300. I've only lost about 8 pounds so far and still can eat a pretty decent portion, although it's significantly smaller than what I used to eat. I think this is due to my plication and not my band.
I had one moment when a piece of broccoli felt like it wasn't going down the right way, but so far all food goes down without any problems. I don't eat as much as I used to and I've noticed that drinking Water will sometimes fill me up, but I'm still not seeing much as far as weight loss. It's discouraging. I'll go in for another fill in two weeks and hope that another 1/2 cc or so tightens things up. I think it's so strange that it takes some people so much more Fluid to have their lapband kick in while others, like me, have to go back for 5-6 months for fills.
Sometimes I question if this band really works?? I'm not giving up, just waiting to find the illusive green zone. Thanks for sharing your story. You're an inspiration.

I'll talk to my knee surgeon and tell him I'm banded and see what he thinks. If he thinks I'll be okay, I don't want to mess with my Fluid level. I'm at 6.65 cc as of today. The knee surgery scares the crap out of me, but it's got to be done. I'm not sure I would be brave enough to have the other knee done two months later like you did. Yikes!

Thank you, 2muchfun.
I'm going for my 5th fill today. I have problems exercising because of my knees. I'm scheduled for a total knee replacement on July 1st. Unfortunately, I'll have to have everything taken out of my band for the surgery, so I'll have to start over. At least I'll know how far my band will have to be filled the next time around. Maybe today's fill will be exactly what I need and I'll have the next three months to peel some weight off. I'm certainly ready to see some results. I don't have a nut, so I'm figuring this out on my own.
.

I respectfully disagree with those who say more power to him, or good for him. I know this forum is about encouragement and support, but I find it downright tragic that this man feels so far gone that he thinks there is no saving him. Maybe a lifetime of being fat, and not feeling worthy has him feeling that he's not worth saving. Maybe he's just too afraid of the uncertainty that accompanies such a huge life change. This is a very difficult decision to make, and with as much bravado as I like to project about it, there are some nights where I just don't know if I can do it. I know it's his decision, and it's not my place to try to impose my point of view on him. I would never do such a thing. Because I have been in his shoes. His situation is tragic, and I have all the sympathy in the world for him. But to say more power to him, or good for him on continually making such a self-destructive lifestyle choice I also cannot do. Would we say such a thing to drug addicts who say that they love drugs too much to quit? I just find his situation saddening and all I can do is hope he decides he wants better for himself. Just my opinion.

BTW-I've had about 9 fills to finally get to the point where I'm comfortable with my band and in the green zone.

My weight-loss was slow... but steady... and that's what wins the race. Keep positive and surround your self with great support. Look at my signature... Slow and steady...
You can do this.

Thank you, 2muchfun.
I'm going for my 5th fill today. I have problems exercising because of my knees. I'm scheduled for a total knee replacement on July 1st. Unfortunately, I'll have to have everything taken out of my band for the surgery, so I'll have to start over. At least I'll know how far my band will have to be filled the next time around. Maybe today's fill will be exactly what I need and I'll have the next three months to peel some weight off. I'm certainly ready to see some results. I don't have a nut, so I'm figuring this out on my own.
.

<~~~~~~~~tiptoes out quietly.